


Derek's First Hunt

by aishitaeru



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen, Pack Feels, Pre-Canon, first hunt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-11
Updated: 2012-11-11
Packaged: 2017-11-18 11:08:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/560376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aishitaeru/pseuds/aishitaeru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek’s first hunt doesn’t go as well as he’d imagined. Of course, he was ten years old and the rest of the pack surpassed him in both years and experience, but somehow Derek had managed to think he’d actually catch something on his first expedition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Derek's First Hunt

Derek’s first hunt doesn’t go as well as he’d imagined. Of course, he was ten years old and the rest of the pack surpassed him in both years and experience, but somehow Derek had managed to think he’d actually catch something on his first expedition. 

After hearing thousands of riveting hunting tales from his dad and uncle, Derek assumed he understood the entire concept. It seemed simple enough, and even though his part wasn’t that big yet—he couldn’t exactly bring down a deer five times his size—he would finally be able to experience the hunt up close with the rest of the pack.

As his older cousins chased the deer down, he stayed behind to round the doe towards the trap ahead; it was his position as the youngest and smallest to scare her into running if she happened to freeze, and the others had to keep on her flanks, leading her to her impending doom. His father and Uncle Peter were hiding a good distance away, lying in wait for the ambush. 

Dirt, snow, and dead leaves flew in the air after the doe’s rushing, the thumping of hooves against the slick earth matching Derek’s heart rate as they raced through the forest. 

Ahead, four of his cousins ran at the same pace, though Derek’s smaller limbs made him fall behind, first feet, then yards, until he was chasing after the excitement with only the tart scent of fear guiding him. A soft growl cut through the woods, loud enough for every member of the pack to hear, but the doe was oblivious, probably too focused on survival to notice the rumble of communication between them. With his shaped senses in this form, Derek could just make out his cousins falling behind, letting the deer get away.

Derek hesitated, his paws just barely missing a bad tangle as he tried to make sense of this development. They were so close, if they let the deer get away then Dad and Uncle Peter wouldn’t be able to take her down.

It made no sense to the ten year old, who’d never actually paid attention to the actual strategy of the wolf hunt, and who instead reeled in on the take-down, the kill.

They’d lose her at this rate, and Derek’s first hunt would be wasted.

Confusion and disappointment filled him, words not exactly forming in his head, but his chest ached with the conflicting emotions. 

As he approached the others, Derek prepared himself for the transformation, wanting to give his cousins a piece of his mind for their stupid decision to let the doe escape, but then something snapped, and all of their ears twitched, pointed ahead, pinpointing the deer’s misstep, and a crash echoed through the woods. 

Derek dashed ahead, growls of surprise and the snapping of teeth sounding behind up. He didn’t care, he was running to investigate. 

He arrived sooner than thought, just in time to see the doe skid to the left, a dark figure aiming for her side with razor sharp teeth. She just barely managed to evade the bite, her haunches lifting up and kicking, hooves flying. The wolf danced out of her way, but Derek wasn’t able to tell who it was; his father maybe. She was just about to race away when Derek ruined everything.

Jumping out of his hiding place from behind the trees, he attacked the doe’s rear, jaws catching fur and fat and tail. None of which were edible or essential in the deer’s demise. Unfortunately, his bravado chose that moment to sputter out and he was left dangling, teeth clamped around the doe’s ass as he panicked, not knowing what to do next.

Gravity copped out, and he tumbled to the snow, landing on his back just under the doe’s stomach. Thin legs surrounded him on all sides, stomping and flailing, each kick getting closer and closer to the young wolf. Derek yelped, eyes flashing with fear as he attempted to escape the cage surrounding him. 

A loud roar cut through the forest and the doe’s hind legs came to a sputtering clatter right beside Derek’s head, just missing the chance to crush his skull into the ground. Luckily, he supposed, she chose that moment to jump over him, running into the thicket and disappearing into the forest. 

Derek lay on the ground, panting, his heart pounding out of his chest. Blinking was not an option as adrenaline raced through his veins and refused to let him be calm until he was sure the danger was gone.

A dark figure casted a shadow over his body, and the younger wolf flinched at the low growl he recognized instantly as his uncle Peter. He kept his eyes down, nose lowered, but not yet submitting. 

Peter lowered his head, shoulders raised as his teeth clutched Derek’s muzzle, not tight enough to actually do damage but enough to scare the younger pup. He shook his head, once, harsh, growling in a you-are-never-to-do-that-again-little-one tone. Derek whined, eyes clenching shut against the force of his uncle’s teeth. Another low snarl appeared, this time from his father. Peter’s jaw immediately released his face, but his father’s own appeared before Derek could make any move. His father’s eyes met his and Derek couldn’t help but whine louder, begging his father to let him go. He was sorry. Sorry.

A soft huff of air blew over his face and then he was released. The pup rolled over, looking up at his father with his belly exposed, paws curled up in submission. His father’s tongue made a path over his neck and Derek knew he was forgiven.

Not only had Derek ruined the hunt, but he’d almost gotten killed in the process.

Later, when he got home, his mother had a fit after hearing the story, growling in her human form—something that was almost as scary as when she used his full name—and grabbed his chin between her fingers, nails scratching his jaw lightly. “Don’t you ever scare me or your father like that again, okay?”

“O-okay.”

She pressed her lips against his temple and hugged him tight.

His dad ruffled his hair after she’d walked out of the room, promising him that the next hunt would be better.

It was better, but only because Derek didn’t do anything stupid and because his cousins gave him a play by play of the many strategies of hunting, Laura adding her two cents when their mother failed to mention a detail. His next hunting trip was also postponed until the next summer, when Derek was eleven. 

And as much as he wanted to forget the whole ordeal, it was impossible. Uncle Peter and his cousins never missed an opportunity to bring up the story, especially at pack meetings or family dinners, informing the entire werewolf community—at least, that’s what it seemed like—of Derek’s First Hunt.


End file.
